Spiral From Madness
by DarkSeductress
Summary: Written for the Stages of Love challenge on Livejournal. Sakura and Kankuro are alone in the wilderness on a mission. Sakura must decide if she will submit to his game of cat and mouse. Kankuro must decide if he wants to continue the game. KankuroSakura p
1. Stage 1 Heated Games

Title: Heated Games

Author: darkemptyheart/DarkSeductress

Theme: Attraction

Rating: PG-13 for swearing and dirty thoughts

Author's Notes: This takes place 2 years after the time-skip and Sasuke is back (though that might not matter much).

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Naruto.

Word Count: 500 (_Heated_ 250 and _Games_ 250, which is done entirely on purpose)

This whole series of drabbles was written for the Stages of Love challenge on There were 5 stages: Attraction, Romance, Passion, Intimacy, and Commitment. Each drabble has to be between 100- 500 words. I might eventually expand on this.

_Heated_

Sakura is so hot, she might have a fever. But she's a medic and she knows the difference between a fever and... this _heat…_ This heat has spread throughout her body leaving dampness and tension in its wake. She wishes it was a fever, but she knows better, especially, when she meets his eyes.

Sakura is a rationalist and right now there is no rationalizing what his gaze is doing to her. So many questions are racing through her head as her heart pounds: How can a stare cause so much agitation? Why does she feel like a bitch in heat? Why doesn't she want to stop this fire from building?

She could look away, but there's a challenge in the feral grin that has curled back his lips. He is teasing her. Is she woman enough to handle a man? Will she cling to Sasuke because his rejection is safe? Or can she take a chance with the unknown?

There is nothing to distract her from these pleasantly disturbing thoughts. Sakura is alone on a mission with him in unfamiliar territory.

_Alone…._

_Alone_ with no one, but God and the wilderness to see if he crossed the camp fire and pushed her on back and pinned her body to the earth and…. She shouldn't think like this.

_But no one would know… _Inner Sakura whispers enticingly.

This is the moment Sakura knows the attraction is not going anywhere and she has already lost the fight before its even began.

_Games_

Kankuro has been making it a point to make her uncomfortable since this mission began. Everything from the cut of his eyes to the ghost of his hands brushing against her has been calculated moves to corner her completely. To get her in a place where she knows resistance is only delaying the inevitable. He wants her to know he's going to have her. He wants the knowledge to war within her. He wants her mind to run wild with all the things he could and _will_ do to her.

And now he knows he has her. It's the distraction in her eyes, the flush that's tainted her cheeks and trails seductively into her shirt, and the subtle closing of her thighs. She is on fire and he grins knowing the real game is about to begin.

There will be nowhere for her to run. No friends to distract her. No fucking Sasuke-_kun_. There will only be him and her thoughts for company. He wonders how creative she will be in the days to come. How many ways will she be able to run from him without moving one step?

How cunning is she?

There is a cooling in her eyes now. She has decided to fight. Kankuro watches her leave the fire.

He has set the fire, but it is not consuming her yet.

Doesn't matter.

Kankuro knows it doesn't take much to excite a live coal.

They both know it will not take long to set her ablaze.


	2. Stage 2 Not A Game Anymore

Title: Not A Game Anymore

Author: darkemptyheart/DarkSeductress

Theme: Romance

Rating: PG

Author's Notes: Each part is 150 words, which is done on purpose.

Word Count: 300

_Hoping_

The last few days have been madness for Sakura. A dangerous game of cat and mouse that has weakened her resistance. Each time Kankuro invades her personal space, she forgets why he isn't attractive and it takes longer for her to escape.

After today they will reach their destination and the mission will commence. She needs to forget this silly game and concentrate, which is hard because he isn't smirking or grinning at her tonight; it's throwing her off. He's just staring at her. When Sakura opens her mouth to speak, he walks over to her, kneels, places a flower behind her ear, and is gone to do more scouting.

Sakura is left staring after him dumbfounded with a blush spreading across her cheeks. She wonders if Sasuke would ever do something like this for her and if this is only another part of Kankuro's game.

Sakura hopes it isn't.

_The Game Stops_

Kankuro doesn't want to face why he picked the damn flower. He is only aware that he did and as he stares at Sakura across the fire, he can only admit the reasons have every thing to do with her.

Kankuro isn't one for grand romantic gestures, so he's subconsciously confused as to why he's walking over to her. When he kneels in front of her and meets her jade eyes, he can't find it within himself to smirk because this doesn't feel like a game anymore. He **_knows_** it's not a game as he tucks the flower behind her ear.

Then he retreats after seeing the wonder in her eyes. He doesn't want to explain anything, so he leaves to do more scouting.

Questions plague the Sand Puppeteer as he surveys the landscape: when did he stop viewing her as a conquest? When did this stop being a game?


	3. Stage 3 The Height of Madness

Title: The Height of Madness

Author: darkemptyheart/ DarkSeductress

Theme: Passion

Rating: R

Word Count: 300

Author's Note: Each part is 150 words as usual.

_You're Not Him_

They both smelled like death. Danger surrounded them. They should be escaping, Sakura thought madly. They shouldn't be fucking silently as their enemies pursued clones.

Sakura shouldn't have a glove stuffed in her mouth to keep silent as Kankuro pushed inside her.

She should be tending to the wound in her side, not digging her fingers into Kankuro's back as he dove deeper inside her.

She shouldn't be enthralled by the way his paint is rubbing off his face onto her neck.

This shouldn't be.

She shouldn't want this so badly.

This is madness.

Sakura clenches her eyes tight, hoping to block the sound of his breathing and the smell of her blood mixing with someone else's.

He bites her neck.

She barely hears the words.

"I'm not _him_."

Sakura meets his eyes.

"I know."

As she dives further into the madness, she knows she'll never want Kankuro to be.

_Special Marionette_

Kankuro knows it's the dumb thing to do as they sink to the ground.. It's madness as he unzips her shorts. There is no time for tenderness as he yanks his pants down. Only time for madness, when he stuffs a glove in her mouth.

They could be captured.

They could be killed.

Yet when he sees the mixture of pain and pleasure haunt her face as he moves within her, he knows it is worth it. The sight of his paint on her neck, excites him.

Sakura closes her eyes and he can't hold back the wave of anger when he bites her.

She will only see him.

She will imagine no one else.

He snarls.

"I'm not _him_."

The fever in her eyes is answer enough.

"I know."

But hearing it seals the deal.

Sakura belongs to him. His to desire. His to manipulate.

His most special marionette.


	4. Stage 4 Tomorrow Coming

Title: Tomorrow Coming

Author: darkemptyheart/DarkSeductress

Theme: Intimacy

Rating: R

Author's Notes: Each part is 150 words as always.

Word Count: 300

_Don't Let Tomorrow Come_

The second time isn't as fast or harsh. Kankuro's weight is pushing Sakura into a bed instead of a mound of mud and grass.

His hands skim the surface of her skin tracing patterns..

There is no need to close her eyes this time. They're safe and alive. He is all she needs. He is all she wants.

The hunger in his eyes makes her feel like a woman.

When he enters her it is slow.

This is the first time he kisses her. It makes her feel as if all the kissing she's done in her life has always been wrong.

So sweet. So intimate. So damn perfect.

His thrusts are slow and deep.

Sakura can't stop whispering his name.

Sakura never wants to leave this.

She doesn't want to return to Konoha.

She doesn't want tomorrow to come.

Sakura silently pleads in his ear, "Don't let tomorrow come."

_You're Mine_

"You're mine."

Kankuro whispers it across Sakura's skin as he trails kisses.

She doesn't hear him.

But she knows.

His whole body is humming it as he possesses her.

His face is bare this time.

No make-up to mask the desire in his eyes.

No hat to serve as a wall blocking this intimacy between them.

It excites him that she doesn't close her eyes, they are open and glistening like wet jade.

He pushes into her slowly. Now isn't the time for roughness.

Kankuro can hear Sakura whispering his name in gasps.

He kisses her liking the way she nibbles on his lip when he pulls away.

"Don't let tomorrow come," she breathes in his ear.

He would if he could, only to see her this vulnerable, but Kankuro knows tomorrow will come with Konoha in its wake.

He hopes their passion will not fade away with the night.


	5. Stage 5 Sight Into Womanhood

Title: Sight Into Womanhood

Author: darkemptyheart/ DarkSeductress

Theme: Commitment

Rating: PG

Word Count: 285; _Womanhood_ 150, _Sight_ 135

Author's Note: I thought it would be interesting to add Naruto and Sasuke into this final part, because regardless of how you feel about the members of Team 7, they are connected for life.

_Womanhood_

When Sakura left Konoha, she was on the cusp between a woman and a child. Before leaving, she was a fickle child, clinging to past dreams she knew could never be.

She returned to Konoha a woman, knowing who and what she wants. She knows the war for womanhood is not over yet; there is one last battle to win.

As she packs her clothes, under Naruto and Sasuke's watching eyes, she reminds herself this is officially a vacation.

It doesn't matter. She refuses to let Naruto's pout make her feel as if she's abandoning them. They left her a long time ago.

He doesn't ask her if she's coming back.

They both know, she's not.

"Why him?" Sasuke demands of her, speaking for the first time.

Sakura's hands tremble. She doesn't stop packing.

With her back to him, she whispers, "Because he sees me."

This goodbye, she doesn't cry.

_Sight_

They never discussed what would happen once they returned to Konoha. As they had traveled back, Kankuro had wondered if once the madness was tucked away, would any substance be left between them.

Sakura would always belong to him, but Kankuro won't take what didn't want to be taken.

This is why when Sakura was waiting for him at Konoha's gates the next morning, Kankuro was surprised.

Her hair was pulled up and a traveling bag was laying at her feet.

She stared at his chest, when he invaded her space.

Kankuro titled her head up, stroking her chin as their eyes met.

He had to know.

He would not be her last resort, or a replacement for what she couldn't have.

"Why?"

Sakura's lips curled up into a trembling smile.

"Because you see me."


End file.
